Balfour Beatty joins with Holtec to fuel the UK’s nuclear energy drive

Balfour Beatty, the international infrastructure group, today announces that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Holtec Britain, a subsidiary of Holtec International – a supplier of equipment and systems to the global energy industry and Hyundai Engineering and Construction (HDEC) – to support the planning advancement for the construction of Holtec’s SMR-160 pressurised light-water reactors in the UK.

Balfour Beatty will act as the main UK construction partner and collaborate with HDEC on the civil construction and installation of the Mechanical, Electrical and Heating, Ventilation and Cooling systems as well as the equipment required for Holtec International’s innovative SMR-160 reactors.

Holtec International is planning to start the UK regulatory acceptance process of its SMR-160 reactors in 2023, which, when granted, will enable the start of the construction of the first UK unit in as early as 2028.

Once approved, the SMR-160 power plant units are poised to play a key role in the delivery of the UK Government’s Energy Security Strategy, targeting five gigawatts of clean electricity to the National Grid by 2050.

Stephen Tarr, Chief Executive Officer for Transport, Energy & Power Major Projects at Balfour Beatty, said: “We look forward to working with Holtec International to drive forward clean energy solutions. Our partnership will build on our long-standing experience and expertise in delivering nuclear projects and will ultimately support the UK’s transition towards a Net Zero future.”  

Dr. Richard M. Springman, Senior Vice President of International Projects & Executive Committee Member of Holtec International said: “The United Kingdom is at a turning point as it navigates through this energy crisis. The decisions made today will impact how future generations in the UK live and work, and the viability of its economy as a whole.

“I believe it will need multiple, complementary nuclear power plant designs based on proven Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) technology already operating in the United Kingdom to assure carbon-free energy security ten years from now; and we have to start now.”

This latest partnership bolsters Balfour Beatty’s commitment to addressing the growing demand for clean energy across the UK – further building on the company’s recent memorandum of understanding with Aker Solutions to deliver end-to-end design and construction solutions for the concrete floating and gravity-based UK offshore wind industry.

ENDS

Media enquiries to:

Henry Dummett
Balfour Beatty

+44 (0)203 810 2345

[email protected]

www.balfourbeatty.com | follow us @balfourbeatty

All non-media related enquiries should be directed to +44 (0)20 7216 6800 or [email protected]

Notes to editors:

About Balfour Beatty

• Balfour Beatty is a leading international infrastructure group with 24,500 employees driving the delivery of powerful new solutions, shaping thinking, creating skylines and inspiring a new generation of talent to be the change-makers of tomorrow.  
• We finance, develop, build, maintain and operate the increasingly complex and critical infrastructure that supports national economies and deliver projects at the heart of local communities. 
• Over the last 113 years we have created iconic buildings and infrastructure all over the world including: the £1.5 billion A14 improvement scheme - Britain’s biggest road project; Hong Kong’s HK$5.5 billion world-class harbour theatre project for the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority; and the 12.5 mile $429 million North Metro Commuter Rail line in Colorado, US.

About Holtec

• Holtec International is a privately held technology company with operation centers in Florida, New Jersey, Ohio and Pennsylvania in the U.S., and globally in Brazil, Canada, India, Japan, Mexico, South Africa, Spain, U.K. and Ukraine. Since the 1980s, Holtec has played a preeminent role in the energy industry by developing and implementing innovative solutions to overcome technical challenges faced by its clients around the world. Pioneering the technology to expand the nuclear fuel storage capacity in the wet storage pools, Holtec has increased the storage capacity on average by over 50% at over 110 reactor units worldwide. Over 130 nuclear units worldwide rely on Holtec’s technology for spent nuclear fuel storage and transportation; 70 of these are located in the U.S. Highlights of Holtec’s core business focus also includes the safe and efficient decommissioning of shuttered nuclear plants; the current fleet includes Indian Point, Pilgrim, Oyster Creek and Palisades. HI-STORE, the world’s first below-ground Consolidated Interim Storage Facility, is currently undergoing licensing for deployment in New Mexico. Holtec’s SMR-160, a 160-Megawatt small modular reactor, will provide safe, secure, dependable, affordable and carbon-free power. As a major supplier of special-purpose pressure vessels and critical-service heat exchange equipment, Holtec provides air-cooled condensers, steam generators, feedwater heaters, and water-cooled condensers. As a fully integrated supplier, Holtec possesses in-house capabilities to design, engineer, analyze, license, fabricate and construct these technologies.

About Hyundai Engineering and Construction

• Hyundai Engineering & Construction is a globally recognized engineering and construction company. Since it won the nation’s first overseas project in 1965, it has set many milestones around the world and has remained at the forefront of global construction. It was the nation’s first construction company to win overseas projects totaling more than $100 billion in value. The company has also been named an Industry Leader in the construction and engineering sector by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI ) eight times. These accomplishments spring from the company’s unwavering commitment to taking on new challenges and breaking new ground over the past 74 years. Hyundai Engineering & Construction continues to secure new growth engines through business convergence and value chain expansion. At the same time, it is concentrating its resources on bringing digital innovation to every field of construction.

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